MEDWAY residents now have even more ways to recycle their household waste thanks to a £1.5 million pound eco-scheme.

More than 60,000 tonnes of paper-based milk, juice and liquid food cartons are thrown away in the UK each year.

As these cartons cannot yet be recycled through the council’s household recycling bins, the UK carton industry ACE UK (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment), including Tetra Pak, has invested £1.5 million into a national scheme to install dedicated paper carton recycling bins in towns across the country, including five in Medway.

Residents can now recycle their washed and squashed paper-based cartons at the following Medway recycling points:

Hoo Village Hall, Pottery Road, Hoo

Balmoral Gardens car park, Gillingham

Park Wood Green car park, off Deanwood Drive Union Street car park, Rochester Strood Sports Centre car park, entrance in Humber Crescent.

Cartons collected from the bins during the two-year trial will be taken away to be recycled into a number of different products, ranging from plasterboard liner to high-strength paper bags and envelopes.

Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services Cllr Phil Filmer, said: “This is another step in the right direction to encourage everyone in Medway to recycle more of their waste.

“We are delighted that Tetra Pak and the carton industry is supporting us to help increase the number of cartons recycled in Medway and if the two-year trial is successful, we would like to see the project rolled out further.”

Tetra Pak Environmental Manager and Chairman of ACE UK Richard Hands, added:“While cartons have been successfully recycled in large volumes for many years throughout Europe, the UK has a long way to go.

“It’s therefore fantastic news that Medway Council is taking a lead by adding cartons to the list of materials collected for recycling and we hope the initiative is successful.

"We and our industry partners are committed to increasing the level of carton recycling in the UK with the aim of reaching a national network of carton collection by the end of 2008.

"Our work with Medway Council takes us and households in the area one step closer to achieving that.”

For more information on recycling, call Customer First on 01634 333333 or visit www.medway.gov.uk/environment